Recruitment and awareness programs

• We have set specific referral and hiring goals for staffing and recruitment managers from each business line;
• We deliver awareness presentations to dispel misconceptions about hiring disabled persons and host networking events in Bank business lines to promote disabled candidates;
• We maintain contact with key agencies, colleges and universities and participate in special career events, including Abilities, Link-up and People in Motion;
• We participated in Career Edge’s Ability Edge program and sponsored nine entry-level graduate internships in 2007; and
• In late 2007, we launched a new online reference tool, The Inclusive Workplace Guide: Disability Awareness, to help employees improve their relationships and interactions with each other and their customers.

Workplace support and accommodation

• We support flexible work hours and work arrangements to accommodate the scheduling needs of disabled employees;
• The Scotiabank Accommodation Fund is a centralized fund that supports job applicants and employees with disabilities to ensure they have the tools required to do their jobs including assistive technologies, interpreters or services;
• The Bank’s systems group, Information Technology and Solutions, incorporates accessibility standards and adaptive tools into our technology applications and websites to make them accessible to employees with disabilities;
• Through Scotiabank’s healthcare providers, we offer the WorkAbility program, which provides counseling and rehabilitation support to help employees with mental health conditions or other disabilities; and
• Scotiabankers for Universal Access is a web-based advisory group of employees with disabilities who provide support to current staff and recommend policy and procedural changes to improve the inclusion of persons with disabilities at Scotiabank.

Sponsorships

• Scotiabank was a gold sponsor of the 2007 Strategic Employment Solutions/March of Dimes Conference on Disability and Employment, which focused on addressing mental health issues in today’s workplace.
• As a key sponsor of the Disabilities Studies program at Ryerson University, Scotiabank funds various faculty and student programs. For example, in 2007 we sponsored the Ryerson Essay Writing Competition which awards $1,500 to the top essayist.
• We sponsored the 2007 National Education Association of Disabled Students (NEADS) Conference to help this Canada-wide organization advocate for improved educational access for disabled students.